


Traders Of The Heart ~Indefinite Hiatus~

by Ratlochet_1472



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Because All My Fics Are Giant Lemons, Eventual Smut, F/M, Farmer Catches Sebastian Sneaking Out Of The Mines, Farmer Has To Save Him, Farmer Is Too Energetic And Friendly For Tired Sebastian, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idiots in Love, Nerdiness, Not My Fault, Sebastian Falls Into A Pond, Sebastian Has A Love Hate Relationship With Farmer's Sunny Disposition, Sebastian Is Forced To Make Friends With The Farmer But He Secretly Likes It, Slow Burn, Sorry Not Sorry, Why Do All My Fics Have Swimming In Them, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-01-31 01:37:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12665616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ratlochet_1472/pseuds/Ratlochet_1472
Summary: You have sent a trade to FrozenObsidian.FrozenObsidian has accepted your trade. Your items will be sent to them, and their items will be sent to you. Please allow up to five minutes for the trade to process.FrozenObsidian: Thanks for the trade. I'll run you through that Crystal Lair dungeon whenever you want. For now why don't we add each other, and then the next time we're both online I'll hit you up about the dungeon?QuiteContrary: That would be awesome! I would really appreciate it. I'll warn you though, for the next few days I'm going to be pretty busy. I'm moving to a new town and starting an entirely new way of life and it'll take me a while to adjust. Well, I'd better get to bed, I have a long day tomorrow. See you around?FrozenObsidian has sent you a friend request.Accept  DenyYou have accepted FrozenObsidian's friend request.FrozenObsidian: See you around.





	1. Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's such a short chapter (even for me). Just consider it a short-and-sweet introduction! The following chapters will be back to my normal length, and uploads will begin shortly. Meanwhile I have a pesky smut chapter to finish for my Shane fic...
> 
> **_WARNING:_** In case the "indefinite hiatus" in the title wasn't enough of an explanation, this is a WIP fic whose progress has been halted! It is currently undecided if it will be returned to. Repeat, this is NOT a finished fic. Those seeking a finished fic should look elsewhere!

**FrozenObsidian: Hey, I saw your announcement in the main channel. Are you still selling the new Godlike Dragon card?**

**QuiteContrary: Hello, I am in fact! Are you interested in buying it?**

**FrozenObsidian: Definitely. With not being able to afford a membership I can't spend money on Legendaries to fuse, let alone trying my luck. What are you asking for it?**

**QuiteContrary: I know the feeling. I only got my membership a few months ago and I've been enjoying it thoroughly. If you ever have extra money I highly recommend it; there are so many more features than they even list! I was thinking about 800 gold? I'm going after another Godlike card to complete my Elven collection and I need all the help I can get. :)**

**FrozenObsidian: Would 770 work? That's all I have right now, but I could go through dungeons or whatever with you too. If not it's fine; I understand.**

**QuiteContrary: 770 and help through the new Crystal Lair would be fine with me. Are you ready to trade now, or do you need to recharge?**

**FrozenObsidian: Awesome. You can send the trade now.**

**_You have sent a trade to FrozenObsidian._ **

**_FrozenObsidian has accepted your trade. Your items will be sent to them, and their items will be sent to you. Please allow up to five minutes for the trade to process._ **

**FrozenObsidian: Thanks so much. I can't blame people for wanting to keep their cards, but almost no one is selling them and it's super frustrating knowing that all you need is that one card to perfect your deck.**

**QuiteContrary: Oh trust me, I understand completely. Anyways, you're welcome! I hope you enjoy it.**

**FrozenObsidian: I will. What's the card you're after, by the way? I might have it.**

**QuiteContrary: The Godlike version of the Demon class card, the Temptress? With my line up the way it is right now for my main deck, all I need is that card and it'll be golden.**

**FrozenObsidian: Okay so I checked, and I don't have it. But I know one of my guild members does and is looking to sell it, so if you want I could set you up with him? He'd probably discount you a little since you helped me out; he's my friend in real life and we play together a lot.**

**QuiteContrary: That would be awesome! I would really appreciate it. I'll warn you though, for the next few days I'm going to be pretty busy. I'm moving to a new town and starting an entirely new way of life and it'll take me a while to adjust.**

**FrozenObsidian: No problem. Why don't we add each other, and then the next time we're both online I'll hit you up about the dungeon and the card?**

**QuiteContrary: Sounds great. Well, I should probably be getting to bed, so see you around?**

**_FrozenObsidian has sent you a friend request._ _Accept Deny_**

**_You have accepted FrozenObsidian's friend request._ **

**FrozenObsidian: See you around.**

**_You have logged out of the server._ **

  


I leaned back and yawned, stretching in my desk chair. I took a glance around. All my personal belongings were packed apart from the items I would need tomorrow morning, and my laptop. Speaking of which.

When I rose to my feet the floorboard creaked, and it wasn't even a minute later that the neighbor below me pounded angrily. Despite the clock only reading 8 PM. I sighed to myself and gathered my laptop and its charger off the desk, moving to pack them into my laptop case. Now that they were taken care of I was done with packing for the evening, and quietly padded back to my closet-sized bedroom to make some last minute phone calls.

I definitely wouldn't miss this insanely expensive small apartment, nor would I miss my extremely dislikable neighbors. My old (as of a few hours ago) job with Joja Co wasn't even remotely close to the list of things missed. Being a horribly underpaid and overworked cashier was _not_ my forte.

However as I looked out my window at the brick wall next to it, I knew where _would_ be some things I would miss. The ease of access, for one thing. Living downtown had its upsides and downsides, but one of the big pros is that all I had to do was walk out my building's front door and I was immediately in the vicinity of a variety of shops, restaurants, and the nearest shopping center was only a couple blocks away.

My friends would definitely be missed. Without Taylor and Patrick dropping in all the time to raid my fridge or drag me out to the local Gamestop, how would I make sure I got enough social interaction? ...Did my new house even come with a fridge? Were there people my age in that town?! It was time to get some questions answered.

I leaned over the bed and unplugged my phone from its charger, then scrolled through the contacts to find Mayor Lewis' number. I'd already called him once to tell him I was coming, but now that I had a better idea of what day and what time--tomorrow at around 3 PM--I needed to let him know. He picked up on the second ring.

"Mary! I was starting to think you'd changed your mind." I smiled at his relieved tone. "Nope, just had to get some things in order! I bought a bus ticket, and I'll be there at around 3 PM tomorrow. If that doesn't give you enough time to clean things up you don't need to worry; I can tidy up a few things on my own." "No, no, none of that. I might have to enlist Robin's help but we'll get things ready for you, don't you worry."

"Thanks. And...one other thing? When you say _things_ ready, what things are you talking about specifically? I mean...gramps didn't tell me _anything_ about the house, or even the land for that matter. I mean, bedrooms, the general size, the kitchen...the bathroom? Oh please for the love of Yoba don't tell me it's an outhouse." 

Lewis' chuckle rang through the speaker. "Well, I can reassure you that it isn't an outhouse. It's not big, but it's connected to the house. It's a studio apartment style house, with all the amenities in the same room--apart from the bathroom. Twin sized bed, stove in the corner, and there's a fireplace for heating."

I paled. That was very...barren. Even in this small apartment I still had a full kitchen, room enough for a double sized bed--barely, and heating that ran through the whole house. He hadn't even said anything about air conditioning so I supposed that was out the window. Speaking of which... "How about windows?" "Oh, lovely windows. You can see your entire farm, and a lovely slice of the mountains from above the treetops."

Well at least that was something. "Thank you very much; I appreciate the information and will make sure to prepare accordingly. Now if you'll excuse me...I have a very early day tomorrow." "Yes, I'm sure you do. Good night, and sleep well!" "Good night." Ooooh boy. This would be...interesting, to say the least.


	2. Reminisce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I won't be doing this often, but I love creating outfits on Polyvore so I thought I would link some outfitspiration for anyone curious as to what Mary's moving-to-Pelican-Town outfit was. The only other times I'll do this is for general seasonal inspiration outfits, and if there's ever another "big" event that she needs to dress differently for.
> 
> You can find the moving day outfit [here](https://www.polyvore.com/moving_day-fanfic_inspiration/set?id=230768111).

" _7 AM, the usual morning line up, start on the cho--_ " My hand slammed down on the alarm clock and I groaned into my pillow, "It's not 7 AM." In my alarm clock's defense, it usually _was_ 7 AM when I woke up, so it couldn't be blamed for playing the pre-programmed song "When Will My Life Begin" from Tangled; but that didn't make the actual time any easier to bear.

The red numbers that read "4:30" glared into my soul as I hauled myself up and stumbled groggily towards the bathroom. They almost taunted me, calling me towards the bed, so I made a very conscious effort not to look behind me as I went in to pull on my jogging outfit. I pinned my unruly short, light brown curls back the best I could, and took a moment to take a wet rag and wipe my face off.

For a moment in my sleepy stupor I mistook my own freckles for dirt and tried to scrub them off...and promptly face-palmed when I realized how silly my sleep-addled brain was being. I took a moment to scowl at myself in the mirror--and sarcastically remind my brain that my dark brown eyes weren't dirt, either. I was still shaking my head at myself on the elevator trip to the ground floor.

On my morning jog I got a total of three cat calls, one from an early morning construction worker fixing a pipe in the road, another from a shop keep opening up early, and another from a notorious sex-worker corner, so all in all a decent morning. I definitely wouldn't miss this. Though, I _would_ miss my idle wonderings of whether it should be offensive or not that I only got hit on/cat-called by women. 

I supposed I wouldn't have much to worry about in that vein in my new town...but I couldn't really find it in me to be bothered. I mean, of course I was happy to be rid of cat-callers. But being hit on in general? It just wasn't a big deal for me. I didn't go out to clubs or shops to be approached by men or women, I just went out to have fun. Though I _would_ miss the confidence boost.

By the time I got back it was half past five, meaning I had plenty of time to take a luxurious bath--and pack my alarm clock before I forgot. I soaked newly-stretched muscles and then scrubbed them down liberally, making sure not to touch my hair as I did. The last thing I needed was to dry out my hair from too much washing, seeing as I was going to get it washed later that day.

At seven o'clock I finished freshening up and pulled on my off the shoulder strappy green blouse, dark wash capri leggings, my favorite floral pink sneakers, and my mother's gold locket, giving myself one last check in the mirror before snagging my makeup kit and heading off. I was making great time. I managed to squeeze my breakfast into an hour just like I'd hoped, meaning I got to my hair dresser's at almost exactly 8:30; right when they opened.

I said goodbye to Skylar and promised I'd visit them if I could. I tried not to notice the tears in their eyes as they protested, "But if you don't come here anymore, who's curls will I have to envy?" "I'm sure the next girl or guy who comes in here is going to have curls even more unruly than mine, and will put up with you petting them and playing with them just like I do," I joked.

"I sure hope so. And...don't run into the bathroom to put your make up on or anything. I got done with you early; you can put it on here at my station." "Thanks, Sky." They smiled, winked at me, and then strolled off to go help an elderly woman at the counter. Meanwhile I was quick to apply the finishing touches to my look. 

I used a golden brown eyeliner pencil first, smudging it a little to give a natural look. I then applied a light, dusty brown eyeshadow and blended it with the eyeliner and the rosey pink shade of eyeshadow I touched up with, using the cream color to accentuate the inner corner of my eye and a darker brown to darken the outer corner. I could tell my time was quickly running out so I applied a rosey blush as fast as I could, as well as a nude, faintly pink lipstick. Finally I was completely done, and ready to look wonderful while moving to a new town.

My plan was falling into place. Now all I needed to do was check my luggage into the bus station early so I could make sure I got plenty of space, hand in my apartment key, meet my friends for lunch, and then head off. I started with the bus station. No way was I going to let anyone else get the largest luggage compartment; I needed the space for my wardrobe and personal effects. I wasn't leaving without any of them.

I got there just in time. As I left the line I could hear the lady who had been behind me complaining about needing to purchase two compartments, and winced. I got the feeling I'd be dealing with her on the bus ride later. But I couldn't let that bother me, I needed to turn in my key before 12! I got there at 12:03 and Hogan, bless him, didn't charge me. He just nodded for me to lay the key down and leave quietly, so that's exactly what I did.

One of my last subway stops left me just two blocks away from Steak N Shake--however, my friends were apparently too impatient to let me walk the two blocks alone. I barely stepped out of the bus station when Patrick and Taylor came at me from the left and the right, grabbing me in a massive hug. "Can't...breathe!"

"We don't care! You can't leave us!" Patrick whined, "Who are we going to torment in public places without you around?!" As I rolled my eyes Taylor laughed and hugged me tighter into her side. "We're going to miss you so much," she reiterated. "Can you miss me on full stomachs? I had a light breakfast and I'm hungry." Patrick's scowl forced giggles out of my mouth.

"We are trying to convince you not to leave! You're supposed to be famished from running super late so we can suggest you stay here one more night and get a good start tomorrow!" " _Patrick!_ " Taylor made a face at him. "Would you chill? It's not like she's on her deathbed or whatever; we'll still be able to visit her and stuff." "But it won't be the same!"

Once we were seated and ordered our meals, Patrick produced a small black jewelry box from his hoodie pocket. "We got you a little something to remember us." "What, you don't think the time you guys washed my hair with rootbeer is enough for me to remember you?" Taylor grinned down at me. "Do you want it or not?" "Of course I want it." I accepted the box from Patrick and popped the lid open to reveal a gorgeous gold charm bracelet.

"It doesn't have many charms on it, because we thought you could keep it around forever and keep adding charms," Patrick explained, then added, "The guitar is mine." "And I got the soda bottle one, since the rootbeer thing was my idea," Taylor admitted with a laugh. My mouth popped open. "You were the one that planned that?!"

Lunch was excellent as always from this restaurant, but it seemed so lackluster when my imminent departure loomed over us like a vulture. And the talk was so lovely. We reminisced about things we hadn't for years, and laughed longer and harder than we ever had. But it was on our walk through the park that it really hit home.

"I guess we better start coming down here every few days to make sure no strays have gotten stuck in that area by the women's bathrooms," Patrick mused casually to Taylor, who nodded. "You'd better hope they don't run you off, what with poking around the window," I joked past the bitter taste in my mouth. "Don't worry, I'm through enough of my transition now that unless they know me, they shouldn't know the difference," Taylor reassured with a smile. "I hope so." I squeezed her arm, then looked up at Patrick.

"So, you're officially the skinniest around in these animal-saving parts. I'm going to be very ashamed of you if you don't get caught in at least one pipe or window nook in the animal relief efforts within a month." "I promise I will. Hey, that's one really good thing about moving, right? Not getting stuck in pipes anymore?" "I don't know, I'm sure she'll find other places to get stuck," Taylor joked wryly.

"Hey!" She grinned at me, but when she looked down at her watch her smile faltered. "Um...well, I guess we better be getting you to that bus station; we're going to be late if we don't hurry." "Oh...I thought we still had some time." I did my best to hide my frown. My friends didn't need to see how unhappy I was about leaving them. I knew all they wanted was for me to be happy, and I was going to be. I knew I was... I had to be, or I was out of options.

We arrived at the bus station late. We sprinted through the station to where my bus was located, managing to get there just before the doors closed. I knew it made the driver mad but instead of instantly hopping on I turned around and threw my arms around my friends. "I love you guys." "We love you too. Now go on, go, before they leave without you!" Patrick pressed a quick kiss to my temple and then pushed me towards the doors, shooing me when I glanced back.

"Go on!" Taylor encouraged. "We'll be here if you ever need us!" As I climbed on the bus my charm bracelet jingled, reminding me again just how much I was going to miss them. They _knew_ how much I loved life-long purchases and meaningful things. They also knew I had one remaining charm from the bracelet my mother gave me before she died...and how I'd never been able to find the right bracelet to put it on. I knew without a moment of hesitation that the charm would go perfectly with the rest of the bracelet.

I took the only seat left... the one next to the woman who'd had to pay for extra storage space. I kept my head down and expected a torrent of insults to come flying out of her mouth. After all, she was from ZuZu City. But after we pulled away from the station she murmured, "What a lovely bracelet." She didn't say another word for the rest of the trip.

"Go on, hurry up now. There's no place for me to refuel around here so I need to haul ass if I want to get back to civilization before my tank runs dry." I scrambled out of the bus and helped the driver lift the compartment door up, barely managing to grab my first bag of luggage before he tossed it carelessly to the ground.

I thought for sure the other one was going to bite the dust--or the dirt, rather, and prayed it was the one that had my clothes in it. But before it hit the ground, a pair of hands caught it. "Need some help?" a red-headed woman asked with a smile, sitting my bag down carefully so she could take the other one from me. I tried to protest but it was no use; she was already walking away with them.

As dust clouds rose behind the bus I ran after her, glancing over at a blooming daffodil as I did. "I'm Robin," she introduced casually. "I helped Mayor Lewis clean up your house. He was determined the place would be spotless before you got here...he seems to have forgotten that you're just going to drag all the dirt right back in on your boots... you do have nice farming boots, don't you?" Oh no.

The look on my face must have been answer enough because she smirked at me. "Don't worry, I expected you wouldn't. I brought over a pair you can borrow until you can get your own." "Thanks. Um, I'm Mary." "You think I don't know that? Lewis has been talking about you all day!" I grinned as she nudged me playfully. "Sorry." "Hey, don't worry about it. We all get nervous sometimes."

Mayor Lewis was...interesting. A little gruff yet very friendly, definitely a stubborn "stuck in his ways" type. But I liked him. He had the type of respectable character that my father used to have when I was a little girl, and that was always my favorite thing about him. 

When they left however, and I sat alone on the twin bed with a fistful of parsnip seed packets, the weight of my loneliness sunk in hard. I admired my bracelet, I stared at the seeds a little longer. Probably too long. I didn't realize how long I had been sitting there until the clock dinged four times to signal the next hour, forcing me up off the bed. I needed to get into gear.

The state of my farm was horrific. Trees, rocks, logs, and all kinds of weeds and grass had sprouted up everywhere, leaving virtually no place uncovered. What I desperately wanted to do was clear out the entire farm--but I knew it would take _months_ to accomplish that, and I was already pretty tired. So instead, I made myself a deal. I was careful with how much I did, cutting a thin line to an area near the small pond closest to the house. 

As the sun began to set the massive tree canopy overtook my work, making it _almost_ chilly. But I persevered and finished clearing out my small area. I was proud of my spot! All I would have to do tomorrow to start farming is hoe the soil, plant the seeds and water them, and then I could spend the rest of my day doing other things, like clearing pathways to all the entrances to my farm...and exploring that mysterious cave just past the path up to Robin's house.

My muscles screamed for mercy as I dragged myself inside and collapsed on my bed, leaving my equipment out on the porch. I vowed to never take all of it again; I'd only take what I needed. Like, a watering can for instance? You don't need it when you're chopping down a tree. But of course I didn't think about that until I had to drag it back to the house where it belonged.

No matter how tired I was, I still had one last thing I _had_ to do. The rest were all questionable with how tired I felt. I fished my phone out of my pocket and sent a quick text to Patrick and Taylor, letting them know I had gotten here safely and had just gotten tied up in work, and after some debate, added that I missed them already.

Then I forced myself to find my luggage and pull out my laptop case, plopping back down on the bed to boot up my computer and log into Bane Of Blade. I absolutely refused to miss a single day out of my 95 day login streak, because on the hundredth day I would get a Godlike box. I was not missing that. While I collected my dailies I noted that FrozenObsidian was offline--something I was grateful for. I didn't want him to message me and tell me he was ready to go defeat the dungeon while I could barely keep my eyes open. 

I logged off, leaned back on the pillow to relax... and then my eyes popped open. My little cottage had no food available. I was half-starved from work, and I had no food. Lovely. I considered going down to the saloon to get something--after all, it was only 9 pm, it had to be open. But I couldn't bear to get up.

My knight in shining armor (or shining tweed) knocked on the door mere seconds later. "Mary, are you home?" "Coming!" I hauled myself off the bed, tripped on the boots of Robin's that I had discarded haphazardly, and struggled my way to the door. Mayor Lewis looked more than a little amused when I opened the door. "Did you get hit by a train?" he chuckled, then held out a pizza box. 

"Here; snagged this from the saloon. I figured if you worked tonight like a good farmer would, you'd be too tired to stop by and get dinner on your own. Didn't want you to go hungry." "Thank you so much. I can pay you back--" "Oh no, no. You keep your money for seeds. We'll just consider this a town investment." He winked at me, then strolled off into the night, leaving me with a steaming pizza box. 

As soon as I closed the door my cottage filled up with the smell and made my mouth water. But first thing's first, I needed to light the fire. That was a time and a half, seeing as I had to use the glowing screen of my laptop to light the are enough to see. But in the end it went okay...and I got my pizza. By 10 PM I'd never been so thankful for a twin bed in my life, even if the headboard did creak horribly when I climbed in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's curious, the trading card game I keep mentioning (and will continue to) is inspired _heavily_ by "Rise Of Mythos." I highly recommend checking out the game if you're into that kind of thing.


	3. Fresh

I stared down at the dirt with a smile, tucking the last empty parsnip seed packet into my back pocket. It had taken me almost all morning since I had no idea how to properly farm parsnips and was forced to Google it, but I was proud of the work I had done. My new crops looked great... even though there wasn't anything to look at yet except little mounds of dirt. But that didn't matter! The important thing was _I_ could see their potential to look great.

The previous day Mayor Lewis had hinted heavily that I should meet everyone in town, so I decided to do exactly that. First on my stop was Robin's house. I wanted to say hello, let her know I'd survived, and I had the chance to meet her family as well. I almost slammed into a girl my age as I tried to go through the door. 

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she gushed, "I wasn't watching where I was going; I was thinking about my next project. I'm Maru, and you must be the new farmer!" "Yeah, I am. I'm Mary." "Well great to meet you! I was hoping I'd bump into you today but we all know how run down the old farm is; we weren't sure if we'd see you for the next month or so!" She grinned at me. "Yeah, there's a lot of work to do there... but I figure it'll still be there tomorrow, or the next day, so I thought I'd start making rounds and meeting everyone."

"That's a good way to look at it! Well, best of luck with meeting everyone! I know it seems like a daunting task now, but it shouldn't take you more than a day or two! Except for Sebastian, maybe." Her face darkened at the mention of him, and I found myself frowning. "Sebastian? Who's that?" "My basement-dweller step-brother. You may _never_ meet him unless it's dark out." "I'm sure I will eventually."

Maru's mood seemed to be soured at the mention of this Sebastian, and I couldn't help but be confused. Was he mean? Or... was she the mean one? Sure, I didn't know anything about the situation but I couldn't help but wonder why she'd talk about him in such a dark tone to someone new. It's almost like she wanted to convince me he was bad... but what if he just really, really liked the dark? So what if he didn't get a lot of sun? Maybe he had social anxiety or something, who knows? It really sounded like she didn't care enough to find out.

"Well, I'll see you around," I finally chirped when Maru seemed lost in thought. I carefully edged around the frowning girl and made my way in, shooting one last bewildered glance over my shoulder before closing the door behind me. I smiled as soon as I spotted Robin behind the counter. "She lives!" the redhead exclaimed with a chuckle. "I wasn't sure if I'd see you again."

"Me either," I admitted, "The work is a lot more difficult than I thought. But... I'm getting the hang of most of it! Google's a big help." "Oh, I'm sure it is. I was wondering how you'd get on with no knowledge of tree chopping, rock breaking, or crop farming. But I forgot you have a computer--most of us don't. We just go to the library." "Well, I'm a bit of a tech nerd," I admitted with a grin.

"Oh? I bet Sebby would like you." My interest was instantly peaked. "Sebby?" "Yeah, my son Sebastian. He lives downstairs. He's a little shy, but I know he'd warm up to you once he got to know you. He likes all those techy things too... I'd introduce you to him, but I don't think he'd be very happy if I let you into his room. He's pretty touchy when it comes to people interrupting his computer time." Maybe Sebastian _was_ as bad as Maru made him out to be, if Robin's talk of her own son was any indication.

After a silent pause Robin continued, "Well, what are you up to today?" "Just meeting everyone in town. I just ran into Maru." "Oh, great! I'm glad you met her. She's my daughter." "She looks a lot like you; I could tell she was your daughter as soon as I met her." "Well thank you! I take that as a compliment. Anyways, why don't you go on past into the lab and say hello to my husband, Demetrius? I know he's been itching to meet you." "Okay, sure."

It took quite a while to get away from Demetrius. When he found out I didn't know much about farming he took the opportunity to tell me as much as he could. I definitely appreciated it, but it was difficult to get him to stop once he started. By 12 o'clock I was walking into town, just about to enter the little shop next to the doctor's office when a voice called out, "Hey, wait up!"

I thought they were talking to someone else until I glanced up and saw a boy my age with spiky blond hair running towards me. He was about six feet away when he finally did the inevitable... he tripped. I felt horrible that he'd gotten hurt on my account, but that didn't stop the giggles bubbling in my throat. I clapped my hand over my mouth to muffle them and rushed over, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?"

Bright, playful blue eyes met mine. "I'm fine! I'm Sam--you're the new farmer, right?" "Yep! Mary." "Well it's nice to meet you, Mary! Say, you mind giving me a hand? I must have fallen for you." I laughed and shook my head at him, offering him my hand as I stood up myself. Once I helped him up he shot me a wide smile. "Thanks! So how are things going for you on the farm? Have you found new, undiscovered species lurking?"

Sam had practically read my mind. "No, I haven't found them _yet_ , but I certainly wouldn't be surprised. That place is..." I shook my head, letting out a heavy breath. "It's pretty... run down. But it has a lot of potential! The dirt seems to be nice and healthy, and the trees aren't _too_ hard to chop down. At least, they weren't once I figured out how."

The blond laughed at that. "Jeez, you're already chopping down trees? Ambitious, huh?" "Just excited for this chapter of my life. The decision to move here was scary, but it also feels so _right_." Blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. "Yeah, I hope that's me someday, nervous before I go out on stage and rock out for the crowd." "Oh, you're a musician?" "Well..." his smile turned sheepish. "I play guitar. Sebastian plays keyboard with me."

There was the mention of that mysterious Sebastian again. "Is Sebastian a friend of yours?" "Yeah, we're great buddies. Why?" "I was just wondering. I've been hearing about him since I went to Robin's but I haven't met him yet." "Oh, don't worry! I'll introduce you two before the week is out. Oh shoot, I'm gonna be late for work! I'll talk to you later!" Suddenly I was standing alone, watching my new acquaintance run away.

My eyes followed his figure, watching as he crossed the bridge and... entered the Joja Mart. _Oh no_. I felt my throat close up, my breathing get labored. I turned and pushed through the doors to the ma-and-pa type shop, closed them, and leaned up against them while I caught my breath. It was only after that embarrassing display that I looked up and saw a man peering at me from behind his glasses. "Are you alright?" 

I'd never felt my cheeks go so pink. "Um, I'm fine." If he heard my voice shake he didn't mention it, instead giving me a friendly smile as I approached. "Welcome to Pierre's. I'm Pierre! You must be the new farmer." "Yes sir, I'm Mary. I--I'm sorry if I startled you. I saw the Joja Mart and..." I put my hand over my chest, feeling my heart still pounding a mile a minute. "I don't exactly associate that place with fond memories."

He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry your were frightened, however I can't deny that I'm happy to know I don't have a competitor to keep you as a customer." I laughed then. "No, definitely not. I--I think someone would have to drag me in there by my hair." "Well I don't think anyone here will be doing that, especially since you have such lovely curls. Did you know that for extra healthy hair, you can mix mayonnaise and olive oil, and put some in your hair before a shower? That's what my wife Caroline does sometimes." "Oh, I didn't. I may have to try that sometime."

"Well, I have everything you need for it! Speaking of you needing anything, can I help you with any purchases today?" "Yes actually. I want to get some more seeds...preferably not parsnips. I already have plenty of those; I'd like to try some others." "That's great! I have many different kinds of high quality seeds right over there," he nodded to an aisle. "Feel free to peruse my stock, and if you have any questions, I'll be right here."

After some consideration and careful money counting I opted to get a few packets of kale and potatoes, seeing as they appeared to be the best deal for my money at the moment. Pierre took the entirety of the money I had to start farming, and I left with my seeds. I was trying to decide what to do next or where to go when I spotted an elderly lady by a planter and made my way over.

"Oh, good morning honey! You must be that new farmer. I'm Evelyn... but you can call me Granny, if you like." "Yes ma'am, I'm Mary. It's nice to meet you. Do you take care of the flowers in the planters around town?" "I do," she confirmed, then added quickly, "And don't you go stomping around in them, either!" She smiled warmly. "I know how rambunctious you young people can be." "I promise I won't, ma'am. I think the planters look lovely, by the way. The flowers are arranged nicely and they look very happy."

Suddenly she was beaming. "Thank you! Mayor Lewis put me in charge of them a few years ago and I've done my best to keep them as well kept as possible. After all, we have to cherish the little things, like the sweet scent of a flower." She looked down at a purple flower bud and seemed lost in thought for a moment. However she quickly snapped out of it and asked, "How are things on that farm of yours? I hope your bed wasn't too uncomfortable last night? I gave Mayor Lewis one of our old mattresses since there wasn't one on the frame."

"It was lovely, thank you. I had no idea you'd gone to such lengths for me; I appreciate it. The farm is... well, it's a work in progress! I've got a small area next to the pond cleared for crops, and I've been slowly working on clearing some of the land. It's a big undertaking but I know it will be worth it in the end." "That's the spirit, honey. Now, I assume you're out meeting everyone in town?" I nodded. "Why don't you go and introduce yourself to Dr. Harvey? He'll be pleased to meet one of his new patients; he's over there in the garden." "Oh, okay. Thank you!"

I'm sure I startled the poor man when I came running into the garden. In fact I almost bumped right into him. "I'm sorry!" I laughed, "I just didn't know when you were leaving and didn't want to miss you. I'm Mary, the new farmer." "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey, the local doctor. If you're ever in need of any of my services feel free to come by anytime. My working hours are 9 AM to 3 PM, but if you're ever having an emergency just knock and I'll gladly open my doors for you."

"Thank you, I'm sure I'll need some help eventually. With all the farm work I have to do I'll be working hard." "Just make sure not to overdo it," he stressed. "Just like play, work is healthy in proportion. Remember to take breaks when you need them, and eat healthy, balanced meals to keep up your energy." "Will do." When I left the garden I had no real destination in mind; I just wandered until I happened upon a man standing on a bridge.

I felt like I had walked into a movie. His long hair seemed to blow faintly in a breeze I couldn't feel, and it was as if he had struck a pose right in the only true ray of sunshine I could find. I stared for a long moment before finally regaining my senses enough to approach him. "Hello," I exclaimed. "I'm Mary, th--" "The new farmer, correct? We have all been eagerly awaiting your arrival." Even his voice sounded like something out of a cheesy romance film. I found myself biting back the urge to giggle.

"Well I hope I live up to the expectations you all have set for me." "Not to worry, Mary. There are no expectations; only hopes." "O-okay, that's good. That way I don't truly let anyone down. I-it was nice meeting you, but I've had a long day... I should probably go." "Very well. I hope you enjoy living in Pelican Town as much as I do."

After escaping the weirdly hypnotic man with the insanely flowy hair, I found myself wandering into the Stardrop Saloon in hopes that I might be able to relax while still meeting new people. I bumped into a man's back when I walked in. "Oh, I'm sor--" "Watch where you're going." For a moment I stood there in shock, watching him retreat to a corner. That is, until a voice exclaimed, "Well well! You must be the new farmer." My eyes canted over to see another man grinning from behind the bar.

"Yes, I'm Mary." "Well welcome to the Stardrop Saloon! I'm Gus, the owner. If you ever want to sit back and relax, need a meal or a quick beverage, you're always welcome here." "Thank you; I appreciate it. Everyone's been so welcoming; nothing like most of the people in Zuzu City." "Ack. I've been there a few times, horrible people. So conceited and self-centered. But the Valley here is a _home_ , not just a town." I couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly.

Gus got me some spaghetti on the house when he saw how little money I had, and a lemonade. While I ate I greeted Pam, who was knee-deep in pale ales already, and Emily, who was instantly my favorite person in town. It was absolutely astounding how much we had in common. However... the man in the corner kept grabbing my attention. So finally, once I was done my meal and had thanked Gus profusely, I approached him tentatively. "Hi, I'm Mary." "I heard." "Well...um... I'm the new fa--" "I know. Look, would you just leave me alone? I'm not interested in being your friend."

Emily frowned as she looked between us, but I pretended I didn't see and just turned and walked away. Clear out of the saloon in fact, and off towards my farm. I told myself that he didn't bother me but honestly, he did. He was just like the people I'd come here to avoid, and how I feared Sebastian would be when I finally got to meet him. But... if such a nice guy as Sam was friends with him, could he really be that bad? I had no idea. But at this point I was both eager and worried about meeting him.

I would have walked home through town but I didn't really want to bump into anyone so I went ahead and padded past the old, broken-down building and up the path to Robin's house. I was scared out of my skin when I glanced around and realized there was a guy standing beside the lake, smoking, and watching me. I raised my hand in greeting, he nodded to me. I decided it was time to just go home. I didn't want to make any more friends.

Once I got to the farm I plodded through the thin path I had made and up to my house, only pausing at the door to realize I'd gathered a few flowers that might be worth something to sell. I tossed them in the shipping box as well as a jar of sap I'd collected from the trees, and then went in to collapse at my dining table. I did my dailies, noticed FrozenObsidian was online. 

I logged out before he could message me; I wasn't in the mood. Not after that man at the bar. I hadn't even caught his name, and yet I was letting him ruin my night. What was wrong with me? I knew I was acting silly. He was just one person--one insanely dreadful person that I shouldn't have even thought twice about. And yet... I still wanted to make friends with him. It was official, I was insane. But what was new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who that mysterious man at the lake was. ;)


	4. Rodent Conundrum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long it took to get the chapter up; there will be more on that later. For now, enjoy!

That was not a rat. That was _so_ not a rat. I don't know what that thing was but it definitely, absolutely, 100% was not a rat. And now Lewis thinks I'm crazy. It wasn't my fault a multi colored _thing_ showed up!

I decided it was best not to focus on something I couldn't control and instead continued my plans for the day, heading over to the blacksmith's so I could open all the geodes I'd been finding on my farm. Clint didn't exactly look thrilled when I came through the door--more like panicked. "Good morning farmer, what can I do for you?" "Mary," I corrected quickly, then added, "And I'd like some geodes cracked open. Please."

When I put my backpack up onto the counter to fish out the geodes I thought I saw him hide a piece of paper with writing on it, but it could have been my imagination. I got the geodes out, lining them up on the counter. "It'll be $25 per geode," he told me, "And I'll take the money in advance."

Of course, some of the geodes weren't great--a few only had rocks. But some other ones had some awesome looking minerals that I couldn't wait to show Gunther. I was excited to help him redo the museum. I wouldn't let the nasty person who stole all the artifacts and minerals get away with destroying the museum; not if I had anything to do with it.

"Calcite," Gunther mused as he held the yellow crystal up to the light. "And in almost perfect condition. Thank you, Mary, this looks fantastic." "Oh, that's not all!" I eagerly reached into my bag. "I have more." I saw his eyes light up from behind his glasses.

"What a lucky haul." We stared down at the Calcite, Nekoite, Orpiment, and Mudstone. "These specimens all look fantastic, and we don't have a single one in the museum. Would you do the honors of putting them away? You can pick any area you like for them." "I'd love to." 

I decided they should take a large display and go in alphabetical order, that way people would be able to find the mineral they wanted easily. "Thanks again for the minerals, Mary! We're lucky to have a citizen as kind as you that's willing to help out." "It's no problem; I certainly have no use for them. I'll see you around!" Or, rather, in the museum. Since you never seem to leave.

With my main mission taken care of I decided to do some late day fishing and see if I could catch anything decent. But first I had a promise to keep. "Linus? I'd knock on your tent flap but I don't think that's how physics work," I called, and heard a responding chuckle. 

"Come in." I ducked into the surprisingly roomy yellow tent and beamed at my newfound acquaintance. "Good evening, Mary. How are you?" Despite how friendly he was being I could tell I still made him nervous, so I took a little step back and produced the wild horseradish. 

"I just wanted to give this to you; I figured it could help out with food sometime soon." "...Th-thank you. I appreciate it." He took the root from me, then shuffled back to put it in a corner. 

"And...if you ever need help, please come to the farm? I have plenty enough for me that I can give you some extra food I have stored back. In fact it would be a help; I probably won't be able to eat it all before it goes bad." "Thank you." He averted his eyes. "I'll think about it."

All I could do is offer and hope for the best, so I smiled at him one last time and then took my leave. I made my way down the slope of the cliff and towards the lake, only pausing when I realized I couldn't hear the construction worker clearing the landslide. My eyes flitted over to him, then quickly followed his disgusted scowl up to where Linus was slinking back into his tent. My blood boiled.

" _Ahem_." The sound of my throat clearing carried all the way to the worker, who took one look at my glare and angry pink cheeks before quickly returning to work. I didn't claim to hate a lot of things, but one thing I did is someone judging other people, especially for things that person couldn't control.

"Don't think I've ever seen that jackhole so scared." 

I jumped and turned, eyes landing on that mysterious man from the lake last night. From the shadows casting over his face and his hoodie I could just barely make out his wry smile. "Heh, sorry. Didn't think I could scare such a tough girl." 

"Hey," I protested his teasing, "I'm not just gonna let him scare Linus away from his fire." "Good. He's a good guy; doesn't deserve that bullshit." I nodded firmly, then added on quietly, "Mind if I sit here and fish?"

When I received the shake of his head I deemed the matter closed, and continued on fishing. By 9 o'clock I'd caught the two chub that Willy wanted me to as well as a handful of carp, and a couple of bullheads. I tried not to notice how the mystery man stared at me almost the entire time, or how he consistently blew his smoke _away_ from me. 

I was not going to be attracted to someone whose name I didn't even know; I absolutely refused. Nor was I going to push the man for said details... I got the feeling my presence would be a lot less welcome if I did.

With just enough time to get to the saloon and get my payment before Willy headed off, I hopped up and stuffed everything into my backpack, shooting the mystery man little more than a cursory smile before running down the path.

  


**_You have logged onto the server_ **

**FrozenObsidian: Hey, haven't seen you online in a while. How did the move go?**

**QuiteContrary: It went great, actually. Everything's really looking up. Sorry I haven't been online. There were probably some nights I could have been but I was so tired I just collapsed into my bed.**

**FrozenObsidian: It's cool, no big deal. I've taken the time to test my cards against the Crystal Lair, and I think I have them sorted out for a deck to play with one other person. So whenever you're ready we should be able to take on that dungeon easily.**

**QuiteContrary: Well if you're ready tonight, so am I. I don't know when the next time will be that I won't drop dead after a day's work. XD**

**FrozenObsidian: Sounds good to me. By the way, my friend sent you a friend request. His user is Warrior_097... I hold no responsibility for how cheesy his name is.**

**QuiteContrary: That's okay, I used to have a user called "puppylover4." At least Warrior_097 sounds tough, mine sounds like a stereotypical female child.**

**QuiteContrary: I accepted. So this dungeon, I'll pass for it.**

**FrozenObsidian: _puppylover4_? That's... interesting. Lol. How young were you when you made that up, if you don't mind my asking?**

**FrozenObsidian: No, we'll use my pass since this is my payment to you... You can pay the next run.**

**QuiteContrary: The next run, huh? What, you taking a liking to me or something? ;)**

**FrozenObsidian: Something like that. I mean, if you just want to go through the Crystal Lair and have that be the end of it that's fine, but I kinda like talking to you.**

**QuiteContrary: I kinda like talking to you, too. :) I was 6 by the way, when I made that username... used it until I was 16 though. Whenever you're ready to hit the dungeon just send me an invite; I'm setting up my deck now. Mind if I go priest? We should intermingle great since you're mage.**

**FrozenObsidian: Yeah, that's fine. I'll go set up the lobby.**

**_You have received a room invitation from Frozen Obsidian._ _Accept Deny_**

  


I opened up my online activity rewards, accepted them, and then went into my card inventory to create a new deck for the Crystal Lair. I created a new card deck, fiddled with my cards a little. I was in the middle of fusing a few when I got another message.

  


**FrozenObsidian: You still there?**

**QuiteContrary: Yeah, sorry, almost done. I just remembered I forgot to fuse one of my cards and I know it'll be perfect for this dungeon. Meet you in a second.**

**FrozenObsidian: It's all good. The room password is FOQC, since some jackhole kept jumping into our room.**

  


I smiled to myself; maybe "jackhole" was a word more commonly used than I originally thought. With my cards freshly fused and put into my deck, I accepted his invitation and punched in the password, waiting eagerly for him to ready up so we could go in.

  


**FrozenObsidian: All good? Armor "polished?"**

**QuiteContrary: Oh, it's polished alright. Polished with the blood of my enemies.**

**FrozenObsidian: You're such a dork.**

**QuiteContrary: Thank you.**

**FrozenObsidian: Only you would take that as a compliment. ;)**

**QuiteContrary: Thank you. ;)**

**_Entering the Crystal Lair dungeon. Please do not exit the game._ **

**_Crystal Beast: So, you think you can defeat my master? You'll have to get through me first!_ **

**QuiteContrary: *eyeroll***

**FrozenObsidian: Lol. I've got longbow archer elves up first, what do you have?**

**QuiteContrary: I got this. Lizards, DEFEND! XD**

**FrozenObsidian: Omy* how many lizard cards do you have?**

**QuiteContrary: Way too many. I love my lizards, and they're great to match with longbow. I've got a Legendary special beast card too, so get all your beasts on the field but no specials; he'll be ready in probably like three turns.**

  


The first part of the dungeon was fairly easy. The second part was hard based on the sheer force of the enemies, but Obsidian and I seemed to be a great team. Our cards matched up almost flawlessly, and we could easily fill in any gap that the enemies tried to produce. 

However we didn't get the final dungeon done in less than 40 turns, so we only got to pick one reward each. Instinct alone made me go for the card in the top right. To say I was ecstatic about my reward would be an understatement.

  


**FrozenObsidian: Sorry we didn't get it done in time for the second reward... I got an epic elf box. What did you get?**

**QuiteContrary: Oh, you know, just a Legendary Outsider card... no big deal. ;)**

**FrozenObsidian: What? Which one?!**

**_QuiteContrary has defeated Crystal Lair (H) and received a Legendary Rank Alice! Congratulations!_ **

**FrozenObsidian: Well that answers my question. Nice card.**

**QuiteContrary: Thanks. I think I'll keep the little cutie! She'll be helpful with her archery skills and the negative effects she gives, plus she has a low countdown.**

**FrozenObsidian: Sounds like a perfect match. Hey, one of my other friends asked me to help them so if it's alright with you, I think I'm gonna bounce. Talk to you later, though? Maybe we could do Redwater Race together?**

**QuiteContrary: Sure! Sounds good; I'll talk to you later.**

**_You have been logged out of the server._ **

  


I pushed my laptop to the end of my bed and sprawled out so my feet rested on my pillows, loading up Netflix so I could watch a couple episodes of Star Trek: TNG before bed. It had been the perfect day today... except for the not a rat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Not a typo. Omy= oh my yoba
> 
> Because it feels more like what the villagers would say since yoba is their religious deity. Apologies in advance if I accidentally use the real phrase; feel free to point it out in the comments if I do. I probably have already... >.> I should go check on that.


	5. Flush And Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Scythe Harvesting mod I was using died on me. No one can explain why since it works for everyone else and various troubleshooting attempts have produced no results... and thus, the beginning of this chapter was born.

If the soil was scared by my pursed lips and deep frown, it didn't seem affected. As I dug my fingernails into the earth and created holes for seeds it remained as dense and unforgiving as ever, making it extremely hard to plant my rows of potatoes.

By the time I had 10 patches of soil ready for my new crops I had already broken a sweat and wasted _a lot_ of time. I swore to myself then that I would _never_ again leave my tools out where they could be swiped in the dead of night. I also swore quite a lot of other things to myself, but those were quiet mutterings that I'd never repeat and would vehemently deny ever saying (if asked).

Suddenly I realized it probably wasn't the best day to plant new crops. Not because of my pilfered tools... but because of the eighty-something crops that now sat, ready to be watered... with my lack of watering can. Or garden hose.

If I had moved to the valley about three months previous, I probably would have been good enough friends with the townsfolk that I could go around and ask if anyone had a spare watering can. But I was new, yet to be trusted and accepted. So I praised myself on my forethought as to crop placement and got to work scooping out handfuls of water from the river to run over and pour on my crops.

When footsteps crunched up behind my exhausted figure some hours later, at first I thought it was a hallucination. That maybe I'd become dehydrated with all my work and needed serious medical attention... but then concerned blue eyes and a shock of blond hair appeared over top of me. "Are you okay?"

"Sam!" The man visibly jumped when I breathed his name loudly in relief, but I couldn't find it in me to care that I'd startled him. "Please tell me your mom has a watering can--or you know _someone_ who does." "Well, I know Caroline has one, you could probably borrow it from her... why, where's yours? And why are you laying on the ground?"

"For the past few hours I have been watering my crops by cupping my hands in the river and running back and forth," I told him. "Someone stole _all_ my tools. I left them out last night and this morning they were gone." "That's terrible!" he frowned, "I hate how low people can stoop sometimes. Here." I accepted his outstretched hand and let him take most of the brunt of lifting me up.

"Let's go talk to Caroline. But if all else fails, I can get you a mug from my kitchen." I could tell the last part was tacked on as a joke, so I forced myself to push through my exhaustion and at least smile at him. "At this point I'd take just about anything."

Sam helped me with watering my plants... and by that, I mean he watered the crops while I sat nearby and chomped hungrily on the scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage that Caroline had gifted me when she found out I hadn't eaten that morning. "I'm sorry you got corralled into basically doing all my work. I thought I could handle it, but..." I shook my head, redirecting my thoughts to happier ones. "I'm just glad you found me," I giggled, "It's a good thing someone cares about me."

"Hey, I can't have my new friend dying before she meets my best friend!" Sam joked, "Besides, it's no big deal. It's not like this is something my mother hasn't gotten me to do a million times for her flowers." "Yeah, but I'm your friend, not your mom. It's my job, it's your home." "Well, I don't mind the work--I won't go so far as to say I like it, but I'm used to it." "Aw, big bad Sammy doesn't like watering flowers?"

For a moment it was silent... that is, until my eyes canted up from the plate to see his scowl. I nearly choked on my eggs with how hard I was laughing, and then it was his turn to laugh. "You should have seen the look on your face!" he crowed when he finally caught some semblance of breath. "Well you should have seen the look on yours!" I managed out past coughs.

It was only as we calmed down that I reflected on his presence at my house. "Sam?" "Hm?" "Why _did_ you stop by? Beyond the fact that you never have before, I would have thought that you sleep in until at least midday." "Hey, I get up at ten, for your information!" "P.M?" "HEY!"

As I giggled Sam warned playfully, "Keep up all the teasing and you can find someone else to water your pathetic little potato sprouts!" "Aww, don't be mean to my potato sprouts! They're not pathetic, they just need a little extra love!" "I've seen blades of grass thicker than these things." "They just need love!" When I asserted my point a massive grin broke out on his face. "Okay, okay," he conceded. "They just need..." he eyed them, "Love. Right."

Silent treatment could have been called childish but I preferred it called intolerance. For the next five minutes I kept my mouth clamped tight, refusing to so much as meet his eyes. I buried the giggles that threatened to bubble up, even when it made my throat ache from the force it took to keep from laughing. I wouldn't let him win.

"If I kiss the sprouts will you talk to me?" I just raised a brow and stared straight ahead. "Fine. Don't know why you wanna make me get sick, but alright, I'll kiss the sprouts." His lips had just brushed the first sprout when I shrieked, "What are you doing?!" and dragged him back amidst deep belly laughter. "Don't _actually_ kiss them!" I cried, "You could get sick! I don't know what I wash off from the dirt before I eat my crops!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well Yoba forbid you tell me that before I actually kiss one." "I didn't think you'd do it!" I admitted as I tried to suppress a smile. "For letting me kiss one of your sprouts you can spend the rest of the day with me," he decided. "...I mean, I don't have anything else to do." That time I couldn't hide my wide grin in response to his glare, but the look on his face quickly morphed into an equally goofy grin.

"Why are you biting your tongue?" "What?" I gave him an odd look. "When you were smiling that time you were like, biting on the tip of your tongue!" "I was not." "You were!" he laughed, "I saw you!" "Really?" "Yeah!" "...Sorry." The weirdest expression formed on his usually light features. "Why are you apologizing for smiling?"

My smile faded. "Well, I thought since you mentioned it that it bothered you--" "No. I thought it was cute." He gave me a boyish smile and told me, "Too cute. Kinda made me regret wanting to introduce you to Sebastian." "Why?"

The pink on his cheeks made my own face flush. "Because then I could have you and your cute smiles all to myself," he admitted, then jumped up and helped me to my feet. "C'mon, let's go to my house. Sebastian will be there any minute." "But I have to wash the plate and fork and give them back to Caroline!" "Then go! Shoo!"

"So he pops up out of the water, completely drenched. And he's giving me this look--I know I'm _so_ dead. But before he can launch himself at me, Abigail comes strolling up, takes one look at this half naked emo kid in the lake, and just walks away. She's just like, gone. Out of there. So of course Seb--BAH!" I scrambled back as Sam's front door smacked into his chest, narrowly avoiding the blond as he toppled over.

"Shit, sor--" It's apparently a time for cut off sentences, because the apology died on familiar pouty lips that pursed synchronously with the furrowing of his brows. "Uh... hi."

As my face went from relatively pale to blood red, Sam jumped up and the black haired man asked him, "What took you so long? I was about to leave. And... how do you know lake girl?" "'Lake girl?'" Sam and I echo simultaneously and the man flushes. "You know what I mean," he directed in a mutter at me. "C'mon, you couldn't have even come up with 'freckles?'" I giggled, "It had to be lake girl?"

The way his eyes flitted to my face gave me the idea he hadn't noticed my freckles previously. "Wait, you two have met before?" "Yeah, she fished while I smoked." "Wait a minute... you're Sebastian," I blurted. "And you're the Mary girl everyone's been talking about." "Would you two like to include me in the conversation or should I leave?"

My face went impossibly redder. "I'm sorry," I directed at Sam. "It's just I've been hearing about this mysterious Sebastian for so long, and come to find out I've known him ever since my second day! Well I mean--not _known_ him, but been aware of his existence! The very day I met you, on my way home that night I bumped into him and waved at him. And here I am listening to all you people describing him and never figured it out! I'm _dumb_."

Sam started laughing as soon as I owned up to my alarming lack of common sense. "But you're a cute dumb girl," he joked flirtatiously... and then remembered his friend was still standing there awkwardly. "Right! C'mon, let's all go to my room."

I couldn't tell whether Sebastian actually wanted to hang out with me because Sam didn't give the poor guy much of a chance to protest. The blond hooked his arm around mine to lead me in, and grabbed the hood of Sebastian's hoodie to tow him along. I couldn't help but feel bad for Sebastian-- his long, slim legs were having an extremely hard time keeping up with the speed of his enthusiastic friend.

When Sam pushed us both down on his bed I immediately scooted to the far end, as did Sebastian. Sam didn't seem to notice. "So yeah, Sebastian, this is Mary! Mary, this is Sebastian! I mean, I know you guys already know that, but I figure a formal introduction is the best way to get things started with you guys..." Sam snickered after a pause, "Especially with how shy Seb is." "I'm outta here." "Wait wait wait!" Sam cried, "Don't go!"

As Sebastian glowered at his friend Sam complained, "I gotta tell you about what happened this morning and how I became Mary's superhero!" "...What?" Then green eyes turned to me as if _I_ had the answer to Sam's sudden madness. When I could only offer a helpless shrug the man returned his attention to his friend.

"I found Mary like, passed out on the ground--" "Laying there," I corrected. "Yeah, right. But anyways, she was laying there all pitiful looking, like _drenched_ in sweat--" "Thanks Sam." The blue eyed man blushed and gave me a guilty smile, however it didn't take him long to launch back into his story. "So I'm like freaking out. I come up thinking I'm going to have to perform CPR or something--" "You only do that if someone's not breathing." "Stop interrupting!"

The _faintest_ smile appeared on Sebastian's face; so small I doubt Sam even noticed as he recounted the events of this morning, painting himself as my knight in shining armor. But I noticed, and it only grew as Sebastian calmly listened to the story. It was only when Sam finished rambling on that Sebastian looked to me, eyes almost seeming to ask if I was ever going to force him to tell the real story.

I decided not to; it was the least Sam deserved after being so kind. I just kept my mouth shut, smiled and nodded... and winked at Sebastian when Sam had turned away. Too far. Sebastian immediately retreated back into himself, his smile disappearing, that frown reappearing as he stared at the wall.

"So anyways, enough of that. I thought it would be cool if maybe we showed Mary some of our mad skills on the guitar and keyboard!" Sam proposed to his friend. "...Yeah, whatever." Their music was good... if not a little all over the place. But it definitely showed potential if they could pin down a single genre! "So what do you think?" "It's fantastic," I grinned at Sam, "You guys are great musicians."

The blond blushed. "Thanks. We um, we don't really have a direction yet though! We have country songs, electronica songs, rock songs... we can do all of them, but that's not how bands do things. We need a sound that people know us for!" "Well, if you're interested in my opinion, I liked the electronica best," I offered. 

"It made me want to get up and dance, and I feel like that's exactly what music is supposed to be." "Exactly! So what do you think, Seb? Electronica?" "Sure, whatever."

"Wait... just like that? Sam, that was just my opinion, it's not like I didn't like the other options--" "Shh!" I decided to "shh" before he hissed saliva in my general direction again. As soon as he turned away I wiped my arms off, noticing Sebastian lower his head out of the corner of my eye. Unfortunately Sam regained my attention before I could figure out if the ebony haired man was hiding a smile. "Hey, let's get some pizza at the saloon for lunch, my treat!"

"Since when do you have money?" Sebastian snorted. "I resent that." I couldn't help giggling at their friendship dynamic as I followed behind Sebastian on the way out the door, but that didn't keep me from noticing how he seemed to slow down and let Sam and I lead the way. Confusing, yes. Surprising, no. Not with how shy he was. I just hoped someday I could joke with him directly.

"Sam, I think this is _dinner_ , not _lunch_ ," I corrected when we walked in and spotted all the evening regulars. "Well that's your fault for having a super late breakfast and then demanding encore after encore." The playful reminder of how the afternoon _actually_ went was on the tip of my tongue when I noticed Sebastian shaking his head and fixing me with a meaningful look. So I let my joke slide... that time. But I would have my revenge! Someday.

When Sam sat down in the booth on my side I couldn't help being a little surprised... but I didn't mind, especially since his knee kept brushing mine so pleasantly all throughout our dinner. However my mind was torn between two things: the butterflies forming when Sam touched me, and my previous wonderings about Sebastian.

Based on how almost everyone had spoke of him--or their lack there of, I had almost been convinced that Sebastian was some horrible, anti-social jerk who hated everyone, everything, and had no redeeming qualities. And as a branch off, that he had basically blackmailed Sam and Abigail, the only exceptionally young people in the community, to be his friends since there really wasn't anyone else.

However now here we were, eating pizza and chatting. Sure, Sebastian didn't give me a whole lot of attention, and it seemed difficult for him to respond to me when I specifically targeted him in the conversation. But he wasn't being mean, he wasn't acting like I wasn't worth his time.

He was the exact opposite of what just about everyone made him out to be, which confused me yet again. Why on earth did people think such horrible things about him? Was he just hiding his true nature in front of his friend, or were the people of this town just shallow minded enough that they couldn't comprehend someone could be shy, or have social anxiety, or just not want to be around lots of people? And why did Robin say he was always so testy about people in his room?

I had far too many questions for the amount of answers I would receive, and that only made me more curious about the man sitting before me.

However I knew now wasn't the time nor place to start delving into those questions. So I tried to just lean back and focus on how bright and happy Sam's smile was. The distraction worked... for a little while. Until I spotted Shane. He sat on his own in the corner, green eyes narrowed and locked on his beer. A bad day couldn't even begin to describe it if his day went as good as his facial expression looked.

Our eyes met over the rim of his beer, and I offered him a little smile. Now as well as holding a glare on his face his mouth was twisted into a scowl as he looked away quickly... but I wasn't so easily deterred! I ate the rest of my pizza, chatted with Sam, but I didn't follow them when they ducked into the adjoining room to play pool. Instead I made my way up to the counter and got Emily's attention.

"Could you give Shane a beer on me?" I whispered over the music of the jukebox in the corner, watching as her eyes lit up. "Sure!" she whispered back happily, then added, "I'll chip in a little, too, so you don't have to cover the whole cost. I know how expensive beer can be around here." "Thanks."

When Shane was delivered a beer he didn't order his mouth opened to protest, but I didn't hear the interrupted words that left him before Emily shook her head, said something, and pointed in at me where I stood next to Sam. Shane looked so absolutely confused and lost... it was as cute as it was terribly sad. If it killed me, I _would_ make friends with that man... I got the feeling no one else, almost like Sebastian, had bothered trying. Except for maybe Emily, but I didn't doubt it was because she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Well neither would I!

Sam was complaining about how good Sebastian was at pool when a pile of crumpled notes suddenly appeared next to my elbow. "I'm not gonna owe you," Shane growled before storming out of the room.

My lips pursed, and I felt my nose scrunch up as the door to the saloon slammed closed behind him. "Alright," I huffed, "We'll try this again!" Gus was more than wildly amused when I got some plain brown wrapping paper from him, and his laughter only increased as I retrieved a strand of ribbon Emily offered me. "Why are you going to so much trouble for someone like Shane?" Sebastian finally spoke up.

"Because the misunderstood often make the best friends." He didn't meet my eyes after that statement. Sam helped me smooth out Shane's money, and then I wrapped them up with the paper and tied the bow on the little package. "Just the right size to put in a mailbox," I mused to Sam as I wrote Shane's name on it.

"You're way too sweet. You did something nice, he outright rejected it, and now you're still doing nice stuff. I mean, being nice is one thing; but after all that?" I shrugged, "It's just the way I treat people. I can only hope that someday they treat me the same way... that's the only payment I want." "Just goes to show yet again that you're nicer than most of the people in town." "Oh, I don't know about that," I smiled up at him, "I think most of the residents are pretty sweet... especially a certain blond I know."

His pink cheeks and shy smile made me grin... until I realized my not-so-subtle attempt at flirting seemed to drive Sebastian away. I was just about to feel really bad when Sam noticed my gaze flitting around and explained, "Seb said he was going to go catch a smoke." "Oh, okay." "Want to play some pool?" I glanced at the time and winced. "I really, really want to... but I should be getting to bed," I admitted apologetically.

"Okay! You want me to walk you home?" "Nah, I'm good. It's just a short walk. But... I'll see you soon?" "Of course"

I knew I'd caught Sam blushing and getting a little extra giddy when I paid attention to him, but it still surprised me when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. When my face pressed into his blue jacket I was instantly met with the smell of pizza and hair gel, and it made me smile. It was completely and utterly Sam... and I quite liked it.

Soft lips pressed to my cheek and my eyes went wide. "Good night, Mary." Sam drew back and turned, shooting me one last smile before he leaned over the pool table to start practicing again. I was almost in a daze as I walked out... until I bumped into Sebastian.

"Oh, crap." I jumped back as Sebastian turned. "Sorry." He gave a nod, green eyes darting down to my charm bracelet, which had jingled on contact. "Nice bracelet." "Thanks... my best friends gave it to me before I left." "Is that a soda bottle on it?" "Maybe." I grinned at him, "It's a long story." "Well maybe you'll have to tell me sometime. What are you doing out here, anyways? Did Sam send you?

That was by far the longest amount of time he'd ever talked to me, and it sent a little thrill through me. He was finally beginning to relax... even if only a little. "I'm headed home; it's late. And besides, I've gotta return Shane's money." He frowned, eyeing me. "You're going to walk through the woods alone?"

Was he... _concerned_? About _me_? "I do this all the time... or, er, _have_ been doing this all the time since I moved here, it's no big deal," I shrugged.

For the first time, he looked almost _sassy_ as he retorted, "Just because you do it all the time doesn't mean you should." I really, really wanted to laugh at how smug he looked when I couldn't come up with a reply, but I didn't dare. I wouldn't scare him away, not again. "Okay, maybe not," I finally acquiesced, "But I do it anyways, because it's my job. It's not that big a deal... the noises out there are a lot scarier than the things that actually make them." "Well I can't walk you home every night, but I'll do it tonight."

Oh crap. "No, no! You really don't have to. I'm not afraid to walk home alone, I'm perfectly fine with it. You don't need to put yourself out." "I'm not." He took a drag off his cigarette and then nodded towards the path to Marnie's ranch, blowing out smoke as he urged, "Let's go."

The sound of our feet going from paved cobblestone to gravel-laden dirt was the only sound between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable, just like the night I fished at the lake wasn't. But what _did_ make me uncomfortable was the otherworldly noises coming from deep within the woods, towards the tower I'd seen earlier.

"Those noises sound like they should be from Star Trek or something," I mumbled to myself. Green eyes took a quick glance over at me before returning to the path. "Yeah, they do." "...Do you think they're coming from that tower?" "Definitely. I've seen freaky shit happen in this valley and it all originated from over there," he snorted. "There is _nothing_ normal about that tower... I'd tell you to stay away from it, but I know you won't." I couldn't help laughing; he must have been a better study on me than I thought.

"Hey, I'll at least take a friendly warning," I offered. "Had to try." "The only thing that'll stop me from picking that pretty daffodil tomorrow is if you tell me that like, fifteen people were murdered there." "It has to be fifteen to scare you away?" "Mmhmm." "That's too bad, it was only eleven."

Maybe there was a reason my friends called me gullible. Sebastian had just raised his eyes to my look of horror when suddenly my face dropped and I grumbled, "Oh." This odd, half-snicker half-snort came out of the twist of his smirk. "I can't believe you fell for that." "Oh hush up." The tall man next to me looked like he was about two seconds away from telling me to "make him" before he turned his head away wordlessly.

Once I found Marnie's mailbox I stuck the package in neatly, and expected him to turn around. Instead he nodded ahead and queried, "Mind if I walk you to your door? It'll make my trip shorter." "No, I don't mind at all." The silence stretched out between us again... but only for a few moments.

"ARF!" I jumped so high my feet went out from under me and from above I heard startled, muffled laughter as a small, horrifyingly dirty fluff ball leapt into my lap and shook mud onto me. I let out a little squeal and thrust my hands up to block the sticky projectiles, wincing when I felt a clod lodge itself in my hair. "Better run from the gigantic beast," Sebastian quipped, "It looks hungry enough that it might eat you up." "I didn't expect it!" I pouted up at him and found him barely able to contain another snicker.

"Really, you better get out of here," he mused casually, "Death is upon you." "I'm not a dog person, okay?!" I cringed as the small dog broke past my hands and started licking my cheek enthusiastically. "Well now you are." My eyebrows raised. "Excuse me? You were here to discover it too." Suddenly my suffering wasn't so funny.

Wide green eyes met mine. "Whoa whoa, hold on! You think I know how to take care of a dog?" "You think I do?! I've only ever owned ca-ACK!" I squirmed back to avoid the small, hot pink tongue invading my mouth, only for me to fall back and give the fluffy creature that much more access to my face. "I don't even have the room to own a dog," he reminded me. "I live in my parents' basement."

"I'm getting stuck with this thing, aren't I?" "Yes." "Nooo, save me!" I called out as Sebastian began to turn. He looked back, eyed me for a moment, and smirked. "You said it yourself, you get home just fine. Now do it with your new dog." "I really, really dislike you right now," I told him seriously. For a split second I realized he could take it the complete wrong way, as the truth, but then he snorted. "Yeah, well I really dislike the dog drool all over your cheeks. Have fun."

By the time I got home almost every inch of my body was covered in dog saliva, and I was the most uncomfortable I'd _ever_ been. But thanks to Sebastian's "hand out," I had something I needed to do before a shower and bed.

I sat down in the singular chair at my table and pulled out my phone, taking a picture of the pup as it chewed on the heel of my converse. "Help?" I typed out, then sent the plea and the picture to Patrick and Taylor. If they couldn't help me I didn't know who could; they were the dog lovers after all. Maybe Marnie would be able to help... but would that be before or after I lost every pair of my shoes? What could I feed this thing until I could get dog food? How does one train a dog? Was it a boy or a girl? Oh dear Yoba please don't let it be a boy, I don't want pee all over my house!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know Mary used to be an animal rescuer but that doesn't mean she can't have animal preferences, right? Like, I can totally imagine her saving a dog out of a river and then cringing as it licks her chin, neck, and basically anywhere else it can reach.
> 
> But don't worry, she'll warm up to le floof soon (especially once she realizes it has a personality extremely similar to her own).
> 
> However whether that's before or after she loses her converse (and her mind) we'll just have to find out in the next chapter. ;)


	6. It Must Be Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Edit 1/28/18:** So...... tired....... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
> 
> The worst part of moving is over, and now comes settling in!
> 
> With any luck I should be back writing within 1-2 weeks but this isn't a promise, only a tentative idea. I just know I'm super hyped to get back to writing so I suspect it won't take too terribly long. ;)
> 
>  **Edit 1/16/18:** Voting is over, the results have been announced and discussed at the bottom of the update!

Originally my intent was to update with one last chapter before I had to do this, but I just don't think I have enough time anymore.

I'm putting the story on hiatus and I'm so, so sorry for it. I wish there was another way but really, there just _isn't_. I'm completely honest with you guys so here's the gist of it: I'm _probably_ moving. To a new state. With only two weeks to a month to pack. That doesn't leave _anyone_ with a lot of time, but especially not for my mother and I with our health conditions, etc.

On the flip side, we may not move. And then I'll be depressed. So the hiatus will still be viable.

I hate to do this. I don't want to disappoint you guys and I know I already did with how long I made you wait, only to find out I'm announcing a hiatus, but I'm only one person. I can't do the job of three people--one being a mover, the other an author, and the last doing basic needs things like sleeping and eating.

I hope you guys can forgive me. I really did try hard to come up with a new chapter during my writer's block, and I do have a very basic idea, but no more. I'm just drained right now. I promise, this hiatus isn't permanent. With luck it should only last 1-2 months, and then I'll be back on my feet.

Repeat: I'm not abandoning this story! ...Yet. Which brings me to the next thing I want to talk about.

I think one of the reasons I'm having so much trouble writing this story is I'm having a hard time expressing Mary. In rereading my story I don't think I've done a horrible job thus far, but I also don't think you guys realize just how much effort it took for me to do that... and even then it's not very polished. I sound like a rather _young_ writer when I'm not. Writing a bubbly, happy-go-lucky character just isn't my forte. It either comes out childish or hyper like had-way-too-much-sugar hyper, and then I struggle with trying to rein it in to a more believable level of positivity--something of which I lack in spades.

So, where does this tie you guys into it? Well I started thinking. Almost ever since I started this story I've had an idea for a different Sebastian story. The leading character is much more my speed--sarcastic, dry humor, even a little snarky, but all around funny. The kind of person you'd want to be your badass best friend or big sister.

I'm much better at writing that type of character, because I genuinely enjoy writing my characters like that. Not that I haven't enjoyed bringing Mary to life--there's just a massive amount of _work_ that goes into her, where as my ideal characters are much easier to write. And easier to write means more updates.

Now of course, I know all 691 of you (at time written) looked into this story for a reason. And even if you left for a while or aren't around anymore--in which case how can you be reading this-- there's a reason you clicked into this story. Maybe it was the tags, maybe it was the description, maybe it was because you'd read all the previous Sebastian fics to date and mine's just another drop in your barrel! You read every Seb fic that comes around and honestly, I can't blame you. Look, can you people join me for a cup of coffee? I think we need to get acquainted...

My point, is that I know there has to be at least some of you that like this story for what it is and who my characters are--or else you wouldn't still be here. And I don't want to let you guys down. I've given this a great deal of thought, and I think the fairest option is to give all of you a choice on what you want. Or at the least, give a very big say in the matter, since I'm not writing for me... I'm writing for all of you lovely people. That's what makes me happy.

I've never liked forcing lurkers to come out of the woodwork and I hate it when other people do it. But sometimes it comes to that. If you've ever enjoyed this story or wished it was different, this is your chance to tell me. I've formulated a few options and put them in a Strawpoll that you can find at the end of this update. For right now I'm going to outline each individual option and explain a little more in depth.

Please, read each description carefully so you understand what that option would entail! If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to pop down to the comments here to let me know. I'm all ears, and no judgement will be passed whatsoever. And, in case you're concerned, the Strawpoll website I use is safe, virus free, and there's no way for me to track you. You have total anonymity in your choice.

This website does prevent duplicate voting, and by that I mean you can't vote multiple times to get your choice up to the top. I've also decided to instate a CAPTCHA. I'm sorry. You hate them, I hate them, but I've seen bots tainting polls before and I don't want mine to be one of the unlucky ones. By having the CAPTCHA enabled, that means there's much less of a chance for poll tainting, so I'll be able to get a clear read on you. If one choice skyrockets to the top instead of worrying that bots got to the poll and ruined it, I'll know what you guys want!

  


**1\. Abandon This Story.**

Now if you guys have been paying even the slightest bit of attention to me in my notes/replies to comments, you'll know this is an option I'd really hate to pursue. For the people who _do_ like this story, and because I don't want to just... toss it aside. I don't like it when people start projects and don't complete them, and I can't imagine most people reading this are any different in opinion. However, it would give me plenty of free time (once the hiatus is over) to start work on my new story idea.

**2\. Abandon The Idea.**

Ouch. Okay, if that's how you feel... but I totally get it. You're passionate about this story and I am too! If I were to do this, I would hold off on my idea until I finished this story. However I can't guarantee I might not rush it a little or make it shorter to be able to write what I want to, and I _know_ that unexplored ideas are are going to slow down updates more than once. Make sure you understand what this option means before you decide on this one.

  


_Now we're getting to the much more attractive options... at least, in my opinion. ;)_

  


**3\. Prioritize This Story.**

By choosing this, you would be telling me that you want me to prioritize this story, but you'd be interested in seeing me start on my idea. Which is great! That means you like this story, _and_ you like my writing  (or just Seb, and that's fine too) enough that you want to see more. However, just like the other options, this one comes with pros and cons. Pro: two stories. Con: two stories. In case that doesn't make sense I'd like to refer you to my horrible track record thus far of staying on time with updates (though that has largely been caused by writer's block, depression, and the stress revolving around the cause of the hiatus). I would have to push back update times not only for this story, but for the new one, _and_ for my other Stardew fic. This option affects all of my stories. Plus, I can't promise I can always prioritize this story. I'll do my very best but it may sometimes end up that two chapters for the other fic comes out before one for this one.

**4\. Prioritize The Idea.**

This is probably my favorite option, however I don't want that to sway _any_ of you; pick which option you want to see happen! You have a large say in what happens and I want you to be happy with your choice, not regret it later after my course of action! This option means I would still continue this story, but put it on the back burner a little more and focus more on my idea. Of course updates will be a little slower for all my stories just like the above option, but with less pressure to deliver for this story, updates will come much more quickly. And you never know what my newly-cleared mind might think up for ideas involving _this_ story. But that does mean that, generally, the idea will receive more attention than this story. This does not mean abandonment for this story, but rather a more free style of updating. Definitely nothing set in stone. But I'd give a tentative estimate of about once a month unless a strong idea hits.

  


Now this is no promise that the winner will win. I may ultimately make the decision to pick another option, especially if it's one of the ideas I like the least. But you _do_ have a voice here. I will give every individual vote the time of day and a great deal of thought. Just like I gave the choice to post this Strawpoll a great deal of thought.

If you don't want to vote, that's fine. But don't get mad if your preference loses and/or I don't pick it; you had your chance to raise your voice. Please don't get mad at me for what comes of it.

The only reason I decided to give you these options is because I took a glance at my Polyvore today, and the hits and kudos on this story. The outfit inspiration I posted for Mary's moving day had _72_ views on it at the time of writing this. Of course with the tags I put on it, there's the chance that a fair number of the views are from Polyvore users. But if even 20 views are from people who were dedicated enough to this story to visit that link, that means 20 people that I'm deciding for. Let alone the hits and kudos! 691 hits, and 42 kudos! Those are all from people who wanted to check out what I'd written, and the kudos are from people who _liked_ it. 

I don't even have room in my house for 42 people, let alone all the other people who have viewed. Those numbers are far beyond _anything_ I ever expected. I love all of you guys for spending your free time reading my story(ies), and I don't feel like I have any right to make a massive decision about this story without your input first.

  


Strawpoll is now closed. I can't wait to hear all your voices on this matter... or decide for you if none of you guys vote. You know, which ever one happens.

 **Edit 1/1/18:** I forgot to say it before but happy new year, and I hope you guys' holidays were great! After some consideration I've decided to end voting on the 15th of January... provided I have internet connection at that time to actually close the poll. But regardless, you have until then to vote, and thank you so much to the 10 people who already have.  <3

**Edit 1/16/18:**

Thank you all so, so much for voting. I never expected so much of a response but I'm so glad you did. <3

Ending at 24 votes total, here are the results:

**Prioritize The Idea: 18 votes (75%)**  
**Prioritize This Story: 5 votes (21%)**  
**Abandon This Story: 1 vote (4%)**  
**Abandon The Idea: 0 votes (0%)**

I salute you, that rebellious one vote. I don't know who you are but I love you for not being afraid to voice an opinion that didn't follow someone else's.

Obviously, prioritizing the idea won out by a large margin, and it has comforted me that going the route of my favorite option was not going to disagree among _most_ of my readers. Since it rose to popularity early, I've already started laying out some ideas...and I may or may not be working on the first chapter as I speak--er, type... so I'm sure you guys can guess what I'm going with.

I don't doubt that the idea will see more attention over all, however for the ones who voted to prioritize this story, please don't worry. A lot has been going on in my life that has no doubt affected my ability to write more challenging (for me) things, but I'm not just going to drop it!

Before I gave you guys an idea of an update about once a month (for this story) and really, that's unfair, and unlikely. I suspect it'll be something more like every 2~ weeks unless ideas would start rolling or I would hit a bad writer's block again. But once this hiatus is over I don't see that being a problem... in fact, I'll have more time to write than ever before! 

I'll be spending a lot more time in my room on my computer because once we move and get some things settled, I'm going to be getting pets! I won't disclose what (unless someone asks) because of my fear of hate from narrow minded/uneducated people, but they're furry, cute, and all kinds of cuddly. They'll be great writing buddies. If I get ambitious enough I may even start _another_ story because I really like to torture myself... and my future pets. XD 

Writing for you guys makes me really happy, and seeing your wonderful comments and all the kudos I've gotten really keeps my head above water on days when I feel like I don't amount to anything and never will. The response I've gotten on two stories alone _proves_ that I'm worth something, if nothing else does. So... I know I keep saying this but from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You have no idea how much you all mean to me.

I can't wait to see you guys again once this hiatus is over and get back into the swing of things! I've missed writing for all my lovely readers. I hope you're all doing great, and I'll see you once I'm safely in my home and have had time to die a few million times from exhaustion! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_TL;DR:_** No TL;DR this time guys, you really need to read the announcement!


	7. Author's Note

Hey, guys. It's me, the person behind the screen that always talks to you guys like you're standing right in front of me. Remember me? Couldn't blame you if you don't; I've been terrible to you guys.

Doing this isn't easy. Not by any means. But I need to take priority over myself and my life, as much as I love making you guys happy. And that's why I'm putting this story on indefinite hiatus. I need to focus more on myself, and start to heal from all the things my hand of cards has put me through. I can't do that when I'm constantly stressed out and guilty about not uploading.

I've also deleted the secondary fic. I put all the contents in a word document on my computer just in case I'd ever decide to start it up again, but I'm not going to leave something with one chapter sitting on here.

Right now I just don't have the inspiration to write about Sebastian. I might again someday, which is why I'm not completely abandoning this fic. But I also might not. Which is why the hiatus is indefinite. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long only to do this. I wish there was another way, but there isn't.

So, thank you guys so much for being the amazing readers that you are. I love you all so much, and I hope someday we'll cross paths again. Until then... stay awesome.


End file.
